Our Hands: Together We Rise

Human hands, when used together and for good, offer a glimpse at a better future. This program features the beauty of Caroline Shaw’s To the Hands, which implores us, “Let us open our hands to those of others…walls are not the answer." History has also demonstrated that human hands can be used to cause anger, fear, confusion, and pain which is explored in the extremely poignant contemporary piece, Seven Last Words of the Unarmed by Joel Thompson, depicting the last words and/or correspondences of seven unarmed black men each killed by police or authority figures. This compelling program travels from calm to unsettling, thoughtful to explosive, and invites the listener to join hands – only together can we rise to create a brighter world.

PROGRAM

Part I: Hands of surrender…
 
Komm, Jesu, komm BWV 229 (Come, Jesus, come)                         
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750)
 
Part II: Hands of welcome for those suffering and seeking refuge…
 
To the Hands                                                                                               
Caroline Shaw (b. 1982)

Part III: Hands of comfort and protection...
 
O Clap Your Hands Together (1622)                                                      
Orlando Gibbons (1583 – 1625)

To Touch His Face (Text by Melinda Clements)                                  
Jonathan Woody (b. 1983)
World premiere performance 

Part IV: Hands of sacred mystery…
 
Mass in G minor                                                                                         
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 – 1958)
Celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the birth of Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-2022) and the 100th anniversary of this work’s first performance.

Part V: Hands of confusion, anger, fear, and pain… (hands that are unarmed)
​ 
Seven Last Words of the Unarmed                                                        
Joel Thompson (b. 1988) 

Hands of solace and hope... (after pain, together we rise)
 
He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands                                              
arr. Brandon Waddles (b. 1988)                                                                                         
Traditional Negro Spiritual
Saturday, October 29, 2022 @ 7:30 pm
Grace Episcopal Cathedral
701 SW 8th Ave
Topeka, KS 66603
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TICKETS $20 ADULTS / $5 STUDENTS /
​12 AND YOUNGER FREE
Sunday, October 30, 2022 @ 3:00 pm
St. Mary's Episcopal Church
1307 Holmes St
Kansas City, MO 64106
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 ​TICKETS $25 GENERAL ADMISSION /$10 STUDENT TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR